Perhaps I'm completely heartless BUT...

LauraBR

LauraBR

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I have noticed recently that people on here seem SO quick to call in the ILPH/RSPCA over things?

This isn't aimed at individuals in particular but noticed today in a poll about horses cantering on the road, the majority of people who have completed the poll seem to say 'report them to ILPH authorities'? I'm shocked as I would no way consider that to be a case serious enough to warrant investigation into cruelty?

Also seen people talking about reporting people because their ponies look overweight in ads in the last week?

Don't get me wrong, I feel strongly about animal welfare but think if I reported someone for every instance I worried about an animal or disapproved of how someone cared/treated an animal the charities like RSPCA and ILPH would be too busy to deal with genuine neglect cases.

I'm genuinely baffled by some peoples' view of the role of these types of organisation, am I missing something?
 
Reading your post, I do agree that the above circumstances don`t warrant a report, but a friend was telling me the other day that she saw a chap walking down the road with a young staffy on a lead. The chap was kicking the poor dog in the ribs so my friend got out of her car and gave him a mouthful and took the dog off him and took it home. Apparently she knew of this chap, and he has about 12 dogs in his home and he is regularly seen kicking them. She took the dog to the vet and he had 2 broken ribs. He was reported but nothing has been done. My friend still has the dog and has had him for the past 2 months. Now this case did need reporting.
I don`t know the full story of the horses cantering down the road, but I presume it means with riders on them. Hunt horses regularly do this. I never canter my horse on the roads may I add. So to some people this is acceptable even tho to most of us, it is not.
I am a real big animal lover and I even save worms which is embarrassing to my husband when once at a football match where hubby is manager, I scooped down on the path where they walk out to rescue a big fat worm. He would`ve been stuck in someones stud if I hadn`t! The lads were standing with hands on hips laughing and it is a standing joke but who cares.
I do believe though that if someone sees an animal being mis-treated causing injury or pain, then go ahead and call, but most of the time nothing is done about it but it may just give the culprits a kick up the *rse.
 
I have to agree with you. If people reported every little thing wrong that they saw then these societies would be swamped and the genuine cases wouldn't get dealt with. I must admit I didn't like going out in public when I first got Pidge as he was so thin I thought people would be looking at me going "oh my god!" when in fact I'd only just bought him.
 
I totally agree with you Lzt.

I think if people looked at it in this fashion - if what you saw was happening to a person, would you have any qualms about calling 999 over it - if the answer is yes then it probably warrants a genuine call to these "cruelty" organisations, if it is not serious enough to warrant a 999 call, then don't!
 
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I must admit I didn't like going out in public when I first got Pidge as he was so thin I thought people would be looking at me going "oh my god!" when in fact I'd only just bought him.

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And that's exactly what concerns me when I see people advising people on here that they should contact the ILPH re a pony in an ad photo, or a pony in a field they drive past- how can you know without knowing the full set of circumstances?
 
I think you're speaking alot of sense lzt.

Not only would we stretch the resources of these organisations, we'd also run the risk of "cry wolf" syndrome becoming a real possibility if they are called for every horse/pony we see not kept in what we deem to be the ideal situation and care.

Yes people with very overweight horses and those that look a little too lean do need pointing in the right direction. Cruelty is something far more sinister in my mind where the horse needs urgently rescuing from the situation it finds itself in.

I take my hat off to those people who will speak up though. Alot of people daren't get involved, but we should remember that the majority modern day horses are kept in a lifestyle that far exceeds their actual basic physical requirements.
 
I agree with your post. I didnt vote in the other thread. I think with instances like this (riding school ponies cantering on the road) their actions are borne out of ignorance. Shouldnt these people be taken to one side and educated not only on the danger of falls, but exactly what can happen to the ponies tendons etc.
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exactly! unless people know the full circumstances then they could seriously put their foot in it! Someone could have reported me as I took Pidge to the local shows for a mooch around etc and I could actually see what people thought of him as it was obvious from their facial expressions
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I just felt like riding round with a big sign going - "I've only just bought him"
My view is that if you see something serious then obviously it needs reporting, but if it's not then don't. If it happens locally then there is always someone who knows that you can ask or failing that just keep an eye on it. That's my opinion anyway
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I take my hat off to those people who will speak up though. Alot of people daren't get involved, but we should remember that the majority modern day horses are kept in a lifestyle that far exceeds their actual basic physical requirements.

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I completely agree with that, something I should have been clear about in my original post- we need people who are brave enough to speak up in cases where cruelty and neglect go on.
 
Unfortunately it just goes a long with the lack of knowledge, and overly emotional stance most horse owners these days have.
 
I agree with you - a good polite chat to show someone where they are going wrong is often all that is needed. These charities are (as far as I see it) already stretched with regards to resources and manpower.
 
I have never thought of calling the ILPH/SSPCA over any animal I've seen. There's a skinny horse near me that looks really miserable and lonely (skinny too) - but I have no idea about this horses's situation, maybe it can't wear a rug, is really old and can't be kept with horses (unlikely, but you never know). If I saw someone leave their horse without water for weeks then I would think about phoning, but not for a skinny/fat/maybe treated badly case. But then maybe thats because I bury my head in the sand!!
 
I agree with you lzt. There is a lady who lives near us who is often talks about reporting people to the RSPCA for stupid reasons. An example is when some local horses were turned out in a field that had had a hay crop taken off it and the grass was short. She wanted to report them because there wasn't much grass! I pointed out to her that all the horses were in very good condition and in fact some were on the podgy side, and she was eventually persuaded against the idea.

She also reported some more local ponies to the RSPCA because they were roughed off and living in a field. They were in good condition and had ad lib hay, good shelter and a water supply and were checked everyday but she thought it was disgusting that they didn't have rugs and that they weren't groomed!

I've also known several cases where people have been reported purely as the result of a personal grudge. One lady knew to expect a visit from the ILPH everytime she put in a planning application!

It makes me so cross that valuable time and resources are wasted in this way when they could be going towards genuine welfare cases
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The ILPH of which I am a life member is an equine charity that is concerned with the welfare of horses. They would be far happier to receive and investigate a report of a horse that is later found to be not being mistreated then to miss out the ones that are not reported but are being mistreated.

The largest increase in welfare problems being reported to equine charaties is found in do-it yourself yards where people take on horses with too little knowledge to care for them correctly and without anyone supervising them. Please do not be afraid of reporting any incident that you are concerned about. Your identity will not be revealed and a horse may be saved.
 
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I have to agree with you. If people reported every little thing wrong that they saw then these societies would be swamped and the genuine cases wouldn't get dealt with. I must admit I didn't like going out in public when I first got Pidge as he was so thin I thought people would be looking at me going "oh my god!" when in fact I'd only just bought him.

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Same with my pony. He's so fat, I'm afraid people will think I'm completely incompetent! But we only got him last week, so bleh.
 
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The ILPH of which I am a life member is an equine charity that is concerned with the welfare of horses. They would be far happier to receive and investigate a report of a horse that is later found to be not being mistreated then to miss out the ones that are not reported but are being mistreated...

...Please do not be afraid of reporting any incident that you are concerned about. Your identity will not be revealed and a horse may be saved.

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I totally agree and I hope that my post has not suggested otherwise, I don't think anyone on here would disagree with that.
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Peter, no disrespect....but absolute cruelty is quite different from a lot of the things that are posted on here.

I don't know whether the law has come in yet, but the one where yard owners are also responsible for what happens to horses on their yard (with regards to neglect and cruelty) is probably a decent law as most YO's know the difference between sheer neglect and ignorance.

I wonder just how many of these "reported cases" actually turn into situations where horses are actually taken away from the owners or indeed how many are just wasted journeys?

Perhaps I have a completely different understanding about what these charities are actually there for; I always assumed they were there to safeguard the lives of horses. I have seen true cruelty and true neglect - nothing I have read on HHO comes anywhere near this category......most of the time these stories just sounds like pure meddling in my opinion.
 
I agree to. My horse (before he was PTS) was turned away for a year to give him a chance of coming sound before making a choice of what to do with him. When he first went lame he was fit and in work(show hunter) there fore looked a picture. I turned him out in September. He had plenty of fat on him (too fat the vet said!!) and was in a field of good grass. By the time December came he had dropped off a little, grown a huge coat and long mane with whiskers to match! The grass was not as good which was to expected in Dec but they had hay and a hard feed daily. He was still unlevel( he had navicular and I turned him away after spending £5000 on vets bill trying to get him sound) but he was happy enough. He was checked twice per day. Then one day I came away from seeing him and there was a note on my car window from someone who was intrested in buying my horses field companion. I phoned the number out of intrest- I was met with a torrid of abuse as to how I was negleting my horse and that they were going to report me to teh RSPCA! This went on and on- in the end I had to pay £200 for a vet to come out and write a certificate stating there was nothing wrong with the horses. They were fat enough, had hay, grass, clean water and a field shelter but because this woman had seen a fit shiny horse turn into a scruffy field kept horse she felt I was cruel!The outset of this was that it still continued and caused me so much stress that I moved him. The stress of the move made him worse on his navicular and I had to have him PTS. I will never forgive this person for the stress she caused me and my horse.He was my best friend- I owned him for 12 years after rescuing him from a meat dealer and turning him into a county level show hunter.

Sorry rant over!
 
I have only phoned the USPCA once, for a donkey whose feet were turning up at the ends. Can't think of any other circumstances where I would do so.

Fiona
 
I agree Lzt.

I agree with the 999 theory that Tia suggests.

I get pretty fed up of the over emotional people that you get in the horse world who like to make lots of noise without first gathering the facts!!
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Or there are the ones who make lots of noise just because they just seem to luuurrrve being outraged!

I went along to a BHS meeting a couple of years a go.

The subject of Welfare came up and there was an incident to do with a horse who had been left with a overly tight headcollar on which had caused much discomfort and damage to the horse. Anyway the BHS welfare officer had got in there and dealt with the situation.

Anyway, where I am going with this is?,,,whilst the speaker was speaking there were two women that I know who were making all the noises of outrage, disgust, upset etc (Rightfully so too). Then the speaker said that the current Officer was having to back down and would anyone like to take this position?

Now, these two ladies just love making a fuss about everything, both have grown up children, both can drive, both do not work so I thought "Ah ha, they will jump at the chance to help out horses"?

But, no!! Not even a whisper of interest. LOL.

It seems to be a subject that comes down to an individuals perception of what is cruel.

Some think it is cruel to stable 24/7, others thing it is cruel to leave a horse out without a rug, some think having a horse with ribs showing is cruel, some think that a fat horse is a sign of cruelty. Some think a couple of smacks is just fine, others think a couple of smacks is a hideous thing to do to a horse,,,,the list goes on,,,,and on,,,,and on.

I am rambling
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I am very good at it though
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To be honest, I think that its WAY better that people are TOO quick to call the RSPCA than to not. Of course, there is the odd times people who don't know anything will call the RSPCA like I know of one person who was reported because her perfectly-healthy pony was in a very small paddock with barely any grass. The pony was laminitic hence the no grass part!

But Id still rather people reported anything they thought was cruelty since everybodys ideas are very different. I do not think that people who are concerned with horse welfare are "over emotional" though!! Many people in the horse world ARE cruel and do things I would never agree with!
 
someone once threatened to report me to the RSPCA because at the time (shock, horror) I was keeping my mare on Rubber matting (premium quality I may add) with a light shaving bed
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and I quote "thats no way to keep a horse". She added that she knew because she used to work for the RSPCA (I suspect her job was no more than shaking a collecting tin outside Woolworths).

Some people will take a 'holier than tho' attitude and block up the phone lines with nonsence and there will be no stopping them I'm afraid!
 
That's awful Charlie.

People they are being well meaning, but usually just don't understand.

I had a field companion once, an elderly mare who spent a lot of time lying down. My field was next to a public footpath where a lot of commuters walked on the way to catch their train. We had constant phone calls from various people threatening to call the RSPCA because our pony was 'dead' in the field. That basically she was lying down in the morning on their way to work, and in the same place when they got home. They didn't understand that she had moved in between. I knew she had because I'd fed her!

I'd got her on loan and in the end the owners of the field asked me to send her back to her owners because they were worried about the RSPCA being called etc. The old owners didn't want her back and had her taken direct to the kennels and PTS. I was gutted. Maybe she was on her way out but she was loved and properly cared for.
 
I must say I'm surprised that the ILPH don't have a page on their website giving guidelines on what constitutes a reportable welfare case - it would probably save them a lot of wasted time and money!
 
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